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- JAMES W. SWAYNGIM, F LAPGIRT, NORTH COLHQ'.

cniin-srrnn Leimen Specicat'ion of Letters Patent.

Patenten any ae, raie.

Application filed. August 22, 1918. Serial Ne. 251,020.

To all whom t may concern: v

Be it known that I, JAMES W. SWAYNGIM, a citizen of theUnited Sta-tes, residing at East Laport, in the county of Jackson and State of NorthI Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cane- Strippers, of which the following is a speci- 4 iication.

This invention relates `to threshing, and more especially to cane` strippers; andthe object .of the same is to produce a devlce of this kind wherein the leaves may be stripped from stalks of cane such as sorghum, sugar cane, and the like. I

This object is accomplished by constructing the device in the manner more fully hereinafter described and claimed and as whose extremities have hooks 13, and the trash opening 5. This guide is mounted on a suitable support 6 upstan'ding from a base not necessary to illustrate, and the upper end yof this support is forkedso that it shall not interrupt the outlet of trash through the opening 5. channel 2 and between the inner edges of the twolips 3 and a is an ample -opening 8. While the lips may be formed integral with the backs of the guides, they are shown in Fig. 3 as separate therefrom and as attached by means of screws or other fastening devices 9.

The slides moving in the channel 2 are complementary of each other and substantial duplicates. 1 have numbered the left hand slide as l0 and the right hand slide as 11, and -their bodies are slidably mounted within the channel under the lips. At its outer end each slide carries a cross bar 12 hooks of one cross bar are connected to those of the other by contractile springs 14. The meeting ends of the bodies of the two slides are shaped to complement each At the midlength of the' other. Each has .at its center a notch 15, at one side`of which it has a projecting linger A16 Aand at the other side of the notch a recess 17 to receive the linger 16 of the companion slide. When the lingers enter the recesses the notches 15 register to form an opening of the shape best seen in Fig. 2, and this opening caused to stand directly at the center of the large'hole or opening 8 in the guide by means of pins 18 fixed in the Shanks of the slides so as to abut the opposite ends of the guide at a'proper moment, as seen in Fig. 1.,

Mounted in the front faces of the Shanks of the slides at points where they will project between the adjacent edges of the lips, are screws 20; and blocks 21 are provided with slots 22 slidably engaging the Shanks of Said screws so that they are adjustable upon said slides. The inner ends of these blocks have notches 25 whose walls are beveled rearwardly as seen in Fig. 4, and the position of parts is such that when the blocks are moved into contact with each other the small end of the opening produced by the registering notches 25l coincides with the opening produced by the registering notches 15 as seen in Fig. 1. When the screws 2() are loosened, the-blocks may be adjusted farther and farther apart so as to increase the size of the opening between their notches, as the size of the stalks being treated will require. These forwardly flaring notches serve the purpose of guides for Vdirecting lthe tipsof the stalks through the opening indicated at 15. As is well known, in stripping stalks by a device of this kind the strips are inserted through this opening and grasped by an operator standing behind the device, who pulls upon the stalk and causes the latter to slide through the hole. The 'springs 14 permit the slides to yield outward slightly as the stalk increases in size toward its butt, and meanwhile the leaves are stripped from the stalk and permitted to fall forward of the stripper so that it is only the stalk which moves through the same. The trash opening 5 permits escape of pieces of stalk and leaves which might otherwise lodge in the channel behind the lower lipa and prevent the automatic adjustment of the two slides 10 and 11. The springs 111 constantly draw the slides in- .ward, and the co-action of' the ngers 16 and notches or recesses 17 prevents the re supportinor duction of the central opening to a size which would be too small for service.

The foregoing description and the. drawings have reference to what may be considered the preferred, or approved form of my invention. It is to be understood that l may make such changes in construction and arrangement andcombination of parts, materials, dimensions, et cetera, as may prove expedient and fall within the scope of the appended claims. 1

Having thus fully described my invention, .what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is A l. The herein described cane stripper, the same comprising an upright support forked at its upper end, and a guide having a transverse channel intersected by a hole and a trash opening from the center of said channel downward between the arms of the fork; of a pair of slides movably mounted in said guide and having notches at their inner ends adapted to coact opposite said hole, contractile springs connecting said slides to cause their automatic inward movement, and pins in the slides striking the ends of the guide when the meeting ends of the slides are directly opposite the center of said hole.

Q. ln a cane stripper, the combination with a transversely channeled guide having an opening at the mid-length of its channel, and a support for said guide; of a pair of slides whose Shanks are movablymounted within said channel, the inner end of each shank being provided with a central notch and with a projecting finger at one side of the notch-and a recess at the other adapted to co-act with the corresponding recess and finger 'on the companion slide, and means connecting the outer ends of said slides for drawing their inner ends normally inwardly. 3. ln a cane stripper, the combination with a transversely channeled guide whose rear wall is provided with an opening and whose front wall is rovided with a pair of spaced lips, a pair o slides inovably mounted Within .the channel and having 4their meeting ends ,notched on lines co-acting to produce an opening between the inner edges of said lips, and yielding meansbearing said slides normally toward each other; of blocks adjustably mounted on vthe slides and traveling in the space between the adjacent edges of said lips, the blocks having notches in their meeting ends flaring outward from the Shanks' of the slides, for the purpose set forth. l 4. ln a cane stripper, the combination with `a transversely channeled guide whose rear wall is provided with an opening and whose front wall is provided with a pair of spaced lips, a pair of slides movably mounted within the channel and having their meeting ends notched on lines co-a-cting to produce an opening between `the inner edges of said lips, and yielding means bearing said slides normally toward each other; of screws in the front face of the Shanks of the slides, and ltwo blocks having slots adjustably mounted on the Shanks of said screws and bevelednotches in their inner ends to produce a larger or smaller guide opening, as described.

In testimony whereof l afiiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES W. SWAYNGM. Witnesses:

COLEMAN C. CowAN, @TEMA CATHEY. 

